Syria's After Affects On The World

World Issue’s Summative

By Cole Urech

 

 

 

One of the biggest areas of concern is Syria. Syria has been in a bloody civil war for 2 years now and showing no signs of stopping or even slowing down, displacing millions of refugees. Syria has also been reported and investigated for using chemical weapons which breaks international laws and it is a mutual agreement between countries not to use Chemical weapons (which to this day they deny) even though when the UN inspectors showed up they found that chemicals had been used even on their own people. This has caused a huge alarm with the United Nations Security Council, because the U.S. declared they’re “going in” to solve the problem. 

 

With all of the terrible things going on in Syria it makes me wonder what the after affects will be world wide good or bad, economically, health issues, housing, jobs and not to mention the emotional aftermath of all the displacements. With all the millions of displaced people that have fled into nearby Turkey, to live in refugee camps. If the conflict comes to an end soon, some of the may stay in Turkey and with more people means more jobs which would boost their economy and we in North America will be seeing more [made in Turkey] on the stuff we buy more often almost like a 2^nd or 3^rd China.

 

With the total deaths at over one million on both sides of the conflict one would think there should be more news about what is going on over in Syria. At one million deaths the Syria conflict should no longer be called a civil war it should be called genocide because there is a majority killing a minority.  I don’t understand how at first the world was in disbelief about what Assad ordered to happen his people including women and children. When it breaks the news that Syria used chemical weapons to kill more people the UN finally did something useful and sent inspectors to inspect for weapons. This shows others countries that they can get away with using chemical weapons. What is going on in Syria could affect the world for better or worse. All of us will see the outcome and after affects will be.       

 

 

Bibliography

    

CBC News/World, Syria Civil War; Key Facts, Important Players, 2013, 1   

Militarism, Resources, and History-The Conflict of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands-by Jagdeep Gill

            The Senkaku Islands, or Diaoyu Islands depending on whom you ask are a small group of 5 uninhabited islands and three rocks In the North China Sea, north of Taiwan and the southern end of the Ryukyu Islands, Currently under Japanese administration. The islands combined consist an area that’s a measly 7 square kilometres; a tiny amount of land even for the small Republic of China (ROC), based on Taiwan. The location of the islands is one the provides a highly valuable strategic point, especially for the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) on the Mainland as owning those islands would allow for the PRC to has access to the pacific freely without having to sail across Japanese sea. The islands are also a location of rich economic benefits. Not only are the islands a rich fishing source and believed to have large reserves of oil and gas, but it is also on the edge of a continental shelf, thus if China controls the islands, it has an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that would be of the entire shelf, where as if Japan has it, it’s EEZ would extend into the shelf.

            Historically the islands came into existence in the 15^th century, where the then Ming Dynasty used the islands both as a fishing ground, and as navigational markers when sending ships to it’s vassal the Ryukyu Kingdom, which at that time was independent of Japan. When the Chinese dynasty transitioned from the Ming to Qing, the islands remained a vassal of China but it also became a vassal of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan in 1604. However in 1879 the Ryukyu kingdom was annexed by Japan; The Senkaku/Diaoyu islands were not included in this annexation. In 1886 the Japanese navy wished to conduct surveys of the islands, however these were always incomplete due to bad weather. The islands were not formally made part of Japan, being declared, it belonged to no one. The reason for not taking the islands, which were not to be called Senkaku until 1900, was to keep suspicion of the Qing Dynasty down. When the first Sino-Japanese war ended in 1895, Japan took Taiwan, Korea, Penghu and Laiodong Peninsula from Qing China in the peace treaty that came of the war; and although not mentioned in the treaty, Japan also took Senkaku/Diaoyu islands. 

            Japanese entrepreneur Koga Tatsushiro then privately used the islands for fish processing in 1900, the business flopped in 1940. On 1945, upon the defeat of Japan in WWII, the Ryukyu island chain was placed under American control. The Senkaku/Diaoyu islands were under American jurisdiction, but Koga still had private ownership. On 1970 the islands were sold from Koga’s son to the Kurihari family. Near this time, 1969, The UN identified possible oil and gas resources near the Senkaku/Daioyu islands. On 1972 the islands were passed from US control back to Japan. During this time Taiwan and China both officially started to claim the islands. On September 11, 2012, The Japanese government nationalized control of the islands by buying the islands from the Kurihari family for 1.02 billion yen.

            This event sparked massive anti-Japan protests in China that often turned violent. This were then subdued by the government. Then in November of 2103, China introduced a new Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), that includes the disputed islands within it`s range. Any foreign plane flying in this zone is required to identify it`s flight plan, Maintain a two way radio communication open with the mainland, keep it`s responder beacon on if it has one, Identify it`s nationality and should they fail to respond then China will deploy emergency defensive measures.

Water Scarcity in Algeria Isabeau Galesloot

Water Scarcity in Algeria
Isabeau Galesloot

In this day and time water is extremely scarce, yet we take advantage of it. Nearly 1 billion people in the developing world do not have access to clean, safe drinking water, meanwhile we in our day to day routine waste it. 

Water scarcity can be either one of two things. The lack of the quantity of water or lack of access to safe water. In a developing country, spending time to find safe water is extremely time consuming and expensive which leads to economic scarcity. Physical scarcity is when there just isn't enough water, but economic scarcity you can find clean, safe water but its just extremely time consuming and not great for the economy.This problem isn't just going to disappear, as more people are increasing their demands, the cost and effort to build and maintain access to water will increase. Waters importance will only increase in a political and social aspect. 

In northern Algeria, in the mountainous district of Bouzeguene, there have been extreme water shortages. Bouzenguene is the central water distribution point for all the surrounding towns and villages. The pipes that link the large water tower to the surrounding villages have started to leak excessively in the mid 2000’s. This issue has slowed down the supply and has lead to a drastic reduction to the amount of water that can now be delivered to the other villages. 

During the summer in this part of the country there is extreme drought for 6 months, because of this it is very hard to fill up the water towers, people have had to improvise. The wealthier people go out to buy water tanks which they then attach to their trucks and then can fill them up at springs, but the less fortunate people fill up containers upon contains at the fountains by foot. Either way, both ways are time consuming and the process takes a long time. “’Ive bought a 1,800-litre water tank for my house. I fill it up with water from the tap when it flows every 10 days or so. Sometimes, the water starts to flow at three o’clock in the morning, so you need to get up to collect it. I leave the valve open so that the sound of the water flowing wakes me up and I don’t miss the opportunity. In addition to the water tank, I fill up everything that can hold water: tins, jerry cans, even drinking glasses! Even if I collect the equivalent of three water tanks, that’s sometimes not enough: washing yourself and cooking have become luxuries. We hardly have any water left to clean the toilets and the drains.” (Kaci, 2012) 

The water crisis in Algeria is just getting worse and worse, riots are starting to breakout, people are getting injured the government needs a plan to fix this. The rioters are setting government buildings and cars on fire, people are going to continue getting hurt and arrested until the problem is solved and the government works through the solutions they have tried to put in place years ago. 

A solution that government is working on is that they have called onto international experts to try  to increase water supplies in both urban and rural areas. The government has already put in 53 billion dinars to repair the approximately 30% of all pipelines in Algeria that leak. They started building dams and using water treatments to prevent water loss and waste. These projects were all started in the mid 2000's, and they still haven't reduced the leaking in the pipes. 

Holly Glover-China:Economic and Political Freedoms

China's Economic and Political Freedoms 

              Traditional thought originating with the Economist Adam Smith for hundreds of years has held the belief that economic freedom cannot be achieved without political freedom and as well in  which there is freedom of choice, freedom to enter markets, and strong property rights (Lawson).  

         

   Political freedom, free of civil repression and supported by the rule of laws is considered and defined by many to be the pre-requite for economic freedom. In recent years this theory has been put into question throughout the globe (Lawson)

            

                     

              Various countries and economic markets such as China which includes Hong Kong and Singapore, have records of political suppression but have shown an increase in economic freedom over the last 20 years (Bishop). Based on the 2004 annual report for economic freedom for the world rated Hong Kong as the most economically free marketplace with a score of 8.7 out of 10 (Lawson). Singapore with a track record also of civil repression had a score of 8.6 out of 10 (Lawson). The United States however considered a bastion of capitalism in comparison only had a score of 8.2 (Lawson). France, furthermore with a long history of liberty had an economic freedom rating of a mere 6.8 (Lawson). China improved its rating from 3.8 in 1980 to 5.7 in 2002 (Lawson). These ratings are based on a number of variables such as low taxation, level of government regulation, corruption, free trade, price controls, and sound economic government policy.

            This paradigm in thinking has challenged traditional thinking as researchers, political scientists, and economists in recent years have began to study the relationship between economics and the need for personal liberty ("China Leadership Pledges Expansion of Personal Freedoms") . Are both required in an interdependent relationship or can economic freedom exist without the inclusion of political freedom? Long term social planning will be impacted over time with the results of this study throughout the globe (Mishra).

           

           

      

             No where in the World has the split between economic and political freedom been more pronounced than in China. In 2013 President Xi Jinping released government draft plans for the government to undertake massive economic reforms that would have been endorsed by such staunch free enterprisers such as  President Ronald Regan (Bishop). Sweeping reforms and changes are to be divided into key economic sectors in which will include the following: reducing production, reducing bureaucratic  regulations, cutting red tape, and reducing government role in the economy (Mishra). No where mentioned in Government was political liberty as proposed in the Western Democracies. Chinese leadership did not consider Western political freedom as a requirement for economic stimulation and strong economic growth (Bishop).

            

             

        The West and liberal democracies have upheld the ideal of strong political freedom as a means to support economic prosperity. There is a belief that China with a track record of political repression will change over time with liberty ("China Leadership Pledges Expansion of Personal Freedoms")  . As more and more Chinese become prosperous and enjoy the luxuries of economic freedom, that political freedom and liberty will be inevitable  ("China Leadership Pledges Expansion of Personal Freedoms"). Many theorize China will eventually become more like Western society with civil liberties and political freedom. Is there evidence to support this thinking? There is evidence on the contrary. China is becoming integrated into the world economy and marketplace but is remaining largely undemocratic (Mishra). This poses the though provoking question on the necessity of political freedom as a means to reach economic freedom around the globe. Are both achievable? Can a Country have both true economic and political freedom. One would hope so however the trick is balancing the economic and social reforms to make a "perfect democracy", and this has still yet to be perfected.

Bishop, Billy. (May 20,2013).In China Weighing Economic and Political Freedoms. New York Times. Retrieved January 9th.2014, from http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/in-china-weighing-economic-and-political-freedoms/?_r=0

Lawson, A. Robert.(n.d). Economic Freedoms. The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. Retrieved January 9th 2014, from http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/EconomicFreedom.html\

Mishra, Pankag. ( May 19,2013). Why China's Riches Wont Bring It Freedoms. Bloomberg News. Retrieved January 9th, 2014, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-19/why-china-s-riches-won-t-bring-it-freedom.html

(November 16th,2013). China Leadership Pledges Expansions of Economic Freedoms. Bloomberg News. Retrieved January 9th 2013, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-15/china-pledges-to-ease-one-child-policy-as-party-details-reforms.html

The Syrain Refuges Michael Ballantyne Date: Thursday, January, 9/2014

Since the year 2014, the syria refuges have doubled to over 2 million people. Most of the Refuges have been taken into countries Such as, France, US, Brazil, Lebonan, Russia, Italy, Libya, Germany, Sweden, Iraq, Argentina, Armenia, Gaza strip, Bulgaria, Algeria, Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Turkey, Eygpt and Jordan. Many of those countries have gave over billons of dollars or built refuge homes to support and help the people of Syria. The problem started on April 2011, when the governemtn of Syria used weapons to kill any anti-governement protestors. The rufuge population increase from the segie of Talkalakh of May 2011 and the siege of Jisr al-Shughour in ldlib province in June 2011. ever since these actions have accurred, the refuges flewed to Lebonan and Turkey. Since of early July 2011, 15,000 Syrian refuges have been sheltered in tent ctites near Turkey`s border of Syria. By the end of July, 5,000 of the rufuges have had returned to Syria. Then by June of 2011, 10,000 refuges were in Lebonan and by mid July of 2011 the first Syrian refuges found protection in Jordan. The issue continued on in 2012 when 20,000 refuges were in Lebonan, Turkey and Jordan. It became a trend which is why the refuges are in more than three places. The UN was getting worried about this and tried to figure out peace plans without causing war. Ever since, the population of Syria refuges have increased to over 2 million people. There are countries that are involved in a soltuion to this issue. One of these countries are Russia, this is because they have a good realtionship with the US and have strong ties to the Assad regime and blocks the UN secuirty council from allowing any foreign intervention against the current Syrain governement with their blessing. This is to make sure that we can keep the peace without causing any disasters and espeically with the UN full approval. The US still wants to get involved with the Syria affairs, but they need evidence to present to the UN security council before they can do this. Isreal is also a good ally with this issue, because if the affair doesn`t work, Syria will strike against Isreal and eventually the entire middle east will get into a huge conflict. This is pretty much starting world war three without any sort of thought but just trying the speak to Syrai about the problem. Some people want Obama to do something, such as the speaker of the house John Boehner who wrote an angry letter that Obama should do something about the issue. He says that nothing will get into his way, because the US has helped Korea, Veitnam, Afghansitan, Iraq and Libya with their issues and no war was created ever since. Today, Obama is at a tight edege with the issue, because he can`t do anything about it. If they don`t do anything about it, officals predict that Syrai will use chemcial weapons and start a war of mass destruction. The UN predicts that by the end of 2014, there will reach 4 million refuges. This would cost a lot of countries a ton of money to help them. The Syria war won’t end today, but it will end when the UN comes to a descision if they want to conduct an affair.

Conflict Diamonds in Africa - Ryan Dinney

Conflict “Blood” Diamonds

 by Ryan Dinney

Conflict Diamonds otherwise known as Blood Diamonds, are diamonds that are sold and used to fund violent conflicts and atrocities of war throughout the continent of Africa. They are usually mined in a war zone and sold to whoever will buy them which then finances the war efforts of insurgents, rebel armies or a Warlord. This illegal sale of Conflict Diamonds has produced billions of dollars which go to fund civil wars and various conflicts in nations and countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many of the recent large-scale wars in these countries have been fought for and financed by Blood Diamonds, being sold to wealthier and more western countries in return for weapons and ammunitions. (Wikipedia)  It is often the case that slaves are the ones used to extract the diamonds, in many instances those taken from the previous controlling factions families and surviving members.  This issue vastly reached the global stage when the 2006 feature film Blood Diamonds starring Leonardo DiCaprio was released as it centred on the diamond and slave trade in Africa. This led to worldwide knowledge of the diamond trade and increased awareness. (Wikipedia)

Unlike many issues this one is not isolated to one specific location. It exists in nations and countries throughout Africa creating war, slavery, and famine with just their presence and the desire they create in the minds of men. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s in Sierra Leone an insurgent group known as the Revolutionary United Front were responsible for the killing of 75,000 innocent people. They would threaten, and often cut off the arms of the men, women and children living and working in diamond villages until they were able to take control of the mines in the area for themselves. Then they would systematically move on to the next village, then the next and so on doing the exact same thing essentially moving across the entirety of the country. People fled their homes in fear of death and or mutilation at the hands of the RUF, and over 2 million people left Sierra Leone completely to the point that many people fled their homes in fear. In total approximately 20,000 innocent workers and people suffered bodily mutilation amongst the 75,000 that were killed.(howstuffworks) During this whole massacre and mindless killing and mutilation, it was found that the president of the neighbouring Liberia, Charles G. Taylor, whose country was in a civil war of its own, had actually been funding the RUF with large amounts of weaponry and ammunition in exchange for Blood Diamonds mined from the taken over territories controlled by the Revolutionary United Front. He was accused by the United Nations of war crimes and crimes against humanity and was eventually imprisoned in 2012 for a sentence of 50 years. (Wikipedia)

Similar conflicts and situations have occurred and in some cases are still occurring today in other countries and nations throughout Africa. While many of the wars are now over and Conflict Diamonds are taking up a lesser percentage of the legitimate diamond trade, there existence is still very real and destroying the lives and even ending the ones of many people. Over the course of these wars and conflicts centred on Conflict Diamonds, which majorly began in the late 1980’s, it is estimated that it has cost the lives of nearly 4 million throughout all the war and conflict.(howstuffworks)

In terms of rectifying the situation, in 2003 a government run organization known as the Kimberly Process was created in an attempt to reduce and eliminate the amount of conflict diamonds being distributed and sold. Their goals were to help stabilize fragile and war torn countries and support and even aid in their development. There has been a large amount of legitimate diamonds being brought onto the legal market that in the past would have been sold into illegal ones and aiding the efforts of criminals and Warlords. This has increased the economic standpoint of these impoverished countries governments, and has helped them in addressing the many challenges and needs regarding to their development and growing as both a legally operating nation and a safe one free of conflict. A good example which shows the efforts of the Kimberley Process is that an approximate 125 million worth of diamonds were legally extracted and exported from Sierra Leone in the year of 2006, when only 6 years prior that number would have been close to zero. (Amnesty/Wikipedia)

It’s currently thought that 99.8% of the world’s diamonds are now legitimate and taken from non-conflict areas. Unfortunately however the program does not prevent Conflict Diamonds from being smuggled from across the borders of war torn countries to protected Kimberley Process countries and then imitated and sold as legitimate ones. In 2006 alone there are reports of roughly 23 million dollars worth in illegal Blood Diamonds were smuggled into the legal trade out of the Ivory Coast and they were sold as legitimate ones. (howstuffworks) Even those there have been large efforts put in place and it has dramatically reduced the amounts which exist in today’s current world, however this issue is ever present and is still responsible for the deaths of millions. 

Bibliography:

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.globalwitness.org/campaigns/conflict/conflict-diamonds

anon. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_diamond

Collins, N. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/7928039/What-are-blood-diamonds.html

Brown, P. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/business-and-human-rights/oil-gas-and-mining-industries/conflict-diamonds

How the African Diamond Trade Works."HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2014. <http://money.howstuffworks.com/african-diamond-trade2.htm>

The American troops in Afghanistan that have been there since the beginning of the millennium, are to soon evacuate the country and return home. Although they have been there for more than 12 years, there are to soon return home to their families. The war in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001 following the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers (Holloman, D. (2013.). Retrieved from). Known as Operation Enduring Freedom (Holloman, D. (2013.). Retrieved from) although the Taliban recommended that Bin Laden leave the country they did not enforce this because they were not totally positive of his involvement with the 9/11 terrorism events. George W. Bush then deployed the American soldiers over sea to retrieve Bin Laden and have him prosecuted; they were then backed up and followed in by allied troops. Once the troops arrived, and the Taliban were eventually relieved from power, the Americans set up camp, which was followed by the fleeing of many of the civilians to surrounding mountainous terrain or to their neighbouring Pakistan. Although originally, the ISAF were to oversee the actions of what was happening overseas. In 2003 (Holloman, D. (2013.). Retrieved from) NATO assumed power of the ISAF and the 43 countries that were there fighting. Although NATO had command of the countries, there were certain American troops that were still ran by the Americans. While NATO forces were batting the Talibans, the war had taken a turn, and expanded into the neighbouring Pakistan in 2004, this was when the war erupted. There were American drones being launched to kill leaders of the Talibans group. As a result of this, there was the beginning of `Insurgency of Waziristan` in 2007 (Holloman, D. (2013.). Retrieved from). With this war in Waziristan as a result of the war in Afghanistan there were many more deaths of innocent civilians and attacks on harmless religious building which of course resulted with many deaths (Wikipedia, 2013). On May 2, 2013 the Navy Seals killed their main target the whole time; Osama Bin Laden (Holloman, D. (2013.) in his compound in Pakistan. Not to long after NATO was thinking of an escape plan for the troops to remove themselves from the country. When 2013 came upon us there were around tens of thousands of deaths from not only soldiers but also there were many harmless civilians that were killed with the violent actions. According to NATO within the next 100 days, (near the end of the year) the troops will be back home with their families. . Holloman, D. (2013.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001–present) Wikipedia. (2013, may 26). 2007 timeline of the war in waziristan. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_timeline_of_the_War_in_Waziristan (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withdrawal_of_U.S._troops_from_Afghanistan